Garry and Ruffles, many thanks for the information. $30 for a 10W light seems more than reasonable, especially cause we can just bolt it on, wire it in and go 
Does kind of take away the fun of DIYing it, though. Hypothetically, if we could find a 4.5V, 2-3A power source, do you think our drunken idea would work?
Is this a cash prize or do I get a trophy/medal?
Itās March now, how about some sandals? Or maybe a snow shovel would be more appropriate. 
Itās close to sandals weather, so Iāll take the sandals prize
I got myself one of these yesterday, the super thrower yesterday. I just ordered it online and picked it up in the store. Much easier than combing the isles for these dang things.
Overall, the flashlight is a beast, my wife said shes happy its in the car for self defense.
I tested it this morning before work and the throw it puts out is pretty nuts. Awesome light for 24 dollars and change.
Now my SkyRay 3T6 is being retired from the car to my backpack. and my C8 from my backpack to my work bag. and my mini mag to my side table.
WOOO, the collection is still growing.
Hi Everybody,
comfychair sent me over here from another thread because I just got one of these from my local HD (which was suggested by Moderator007), and I had some questions, but, gosh, there are like 600+ messages in this thread :(!!
I was asking some questions about this light on the other thread, but basically, Iām wondering if thereāve been any developments with respect to using batteries like 18650s, etc., without modding the electronics in the light (Iām still not there yet)?
Iāve already tried using some C-adapters with AA Eneloops, which seems to work ok, but I guess what Iām wondering what is the voltage spec for the out-of-box driver, because Iām wondering if itād be possible to use something like 2 x 18650s in this, along with maybe a dummy C battery?
Iām assuming that 1 x 18650 (with 2 dummy C batteries) would work, but the light would be dimmer (because of 3.7V for the 18650 vs. 3.6V-4.5V (for Nimh/Eneloops/Alkalines)? Is that correct?
Sorry if these questions have all been answered in this thread previously, but itād (itāll) probably take me all night to read through all 600+ messages, so I hope that someone might know the above.
Also, FYI, as mentioned, I just picked this one up today, and the situation with finding it IN the HD store apparently is still not much better than at the start of this thread.
The light is still a āno homeā light, and I was lucky to be able to find it (spent about 1.5 hours, actually) after persisting with 3 of the HD employees.
I was lucky that the last guy, Don, knew that it was āno homeā, and he just walked right over to where this Defiant was (it was NOT in the same place as the other Defiants) and brought one back to me.
Anyway, hope that someone can help.
Later,
Jim
Hi Jim,
The easiest is a 1x18650 with a spacer to fill out the tube. Wrap the cell so it fits snug in the tube better too.
When you are ready to tinker with the electronics, this is a relatively easy mod.
HD Defiant 3C Mod
relic,
Thanks. Iāll look that mod thread over.
Re. 1 x 18650, how significant is the performance difference with the 18650 (3.7V), vs., Nimh or Alkaline (3.6V-4.5V)?
Also, a āCā cell is 50mm long, and an 18650 is nominally 65mm long, so what size spacer would be needed for the 1x18650?
Actually, wouldnāt it need to be something like a ādummyā battery, rather than a āspacerā?
Also, I gather that the out-of-box driver wonāt take the 7.4V from 2x18650?
Sorry for all of the āAlsoā¦ā :)ā¦
Jim
Jim, scroll the thread for pics until someone posts a link to a specific post. The dummy/spacer was really easy to make just by lining up the 3Cs with the 18650 to measure the difference - dowel 3/4ā, t-nut #8-32x1/4ā & bolt #8-32x3ā all inside a 3/4ā x 2ā IPS 100 PSI Poly Pipe from Garden EDIT, Plumbing Dept. #811000004758 ($6 receipt with lots of dowel and poly left). A few of us have also built a parallel holder to run 2*18650s with some discussion on this toward the end. This reminds me I need to finish the PlastiDip of the one I did and then start building version 2 that bends around the battery better. Search my nickname on the last several pages and you should find the discussions on both items fairly easily.
PS - I havenāt measured for brightness differences. Now, both of my DSTs have replacement drivers and LEDs but only one of them can still take 3Cs. Iām using IMRs in them instead of regular 18650s running 3.5+ to 4+A. So Iām guessing the 3Cs would sag and not deliver the watts of the IMRs. The Keeppower 3100 I have delivers close but slightly less than the IMRs. Some of my laptop pulls suck, so it depends a lot on what youāll feed it.
Will do. Thanks!
Edit: The parallel one was post #552.
Edit: Spacer is post #216, page #5
That was fast! Gotta love pics.
Note that I used #8 as mentioned above instead of #6 in post 216. Either should work, my HD didnāt have one of the #6 parts in the right size. Hardest part of making the dummy was drilling the center hole without a vise - shoulda used a clamp.
If you make a parallel holder, donāt forget to use the holder when testing for current - somehow one of my DSTs ended up needing a new LED - oem setup did not like 2*18650 serial.
Hi,
I think that what Iād really like to do is just cut the tube down to a length that I could just put 1x18650 in it. Problem is that I donāt have much in the way of metal machining tools, i.e., no lathe, no vise, etc. I think that would be really cool!
I found some videos by Old Lumens, who I think is on BLF, on what he calls āhuman latheā, which was pretty cool (Old Lumens makes it look so easy :)!), and I do have a Dremel (actually a couple of them), so I could try it, but every time I watch his videos, Iām picturing wrecking the Defiant that I have :).
I have to think about that some more :(ā¦
Jim
Has any one got a spare that they would like to ship to Australia? l will pay the freight as well as the cost of the light.
I have one - the driver and emitter have been removed and a ucl installed - if you are interested shoot me a pm (also have an XML2 u2 on copper i was going to put in it)
i broke the driver i was going to use - and havent had funds to replace it - so its sitting on my shelf
if any of this interests you shoot me a pm
Something to consider before shortening the battery tube. This light is designed for throwing and has really good heat sinking. You will probably want to push the LED hard. If you do, you will use up one cell pretty fast. Especially if you upgrade to XML2 (higher Vf). Going parallel, will double your capacity.
Understood.
Above, I said 1x18650, but would a 1x26650 also fit into the existing tube, and provide additional runtime? I donāt have any 26650 lights (or batteries, for that matter) yet, but this would be a good opportunity.
I probably wouldnāt look to modding the emitter or driver yet, and either do it on the one I have if needed, or go get another one (or more) if I did decide to do that, so my more immediate desire would be what I said above first.
I was looking at the Defiant I had last night, and with a 1x18650 (or 26650 if that works), and from what I could tell by āeye-ballingā, basically the āmiddleā tube would have to be cut down to almost just the length of the 18650, and that would be enough. It would have to protrude into the ābuttonā part, which is separate on the Defiant, about an inch (~2.5 cm), but the light has a huge spring on it, which would probably work if I could just get a tube with with same dimensions as the original battery tube, but with a length thatās shortened.
Is there anyone here that might be able to do that (get me an appropriate length tube, threaded on both ends correctly for the Defiant 3c (non-Armormax)?
That might be easier (for me), rather than having to cut most of the existing tube out, and then re-joining the 2 ends, ala Old Lumens āhuman latheā approach :)ā¦
I donāt care much about color/finish for this. Bare copper or aluminum would be fine.
Thanks,
Jim
Edit: P.S. Maybe if someone here can do this (produce a tube), they could offer to others on BLF?
Is anyone else interested in a āshortyā Defiant 3C that supports 1x18650 or 1x26650?
I canāt speak for his availability, but member ChicagoX here is an amazing craftsman and has done great work for me. You might drop him a PM.
Check out post 121 for 26650 fitment. Looks like a no go with the existing tube. Somewhere in this huge thread someone found a battery tube from another light that fits the head. It may have been a 26650 tube. ruffles has some good advice above.
Hi,
He was one of the ones I was thinking of. Also, I think that didnāt ānitroā just get a new lathe? Maybe a good chance to āpracticeā :)!!
Man, I really wish that there was way to search just this thread :(! If you find the post about the existing tube, please post back?
Thanks,
Jim
It was found that the Trustfire A8 tube fits. Pulsar may also find out if the new A8 clone at DX fits as well.
-Garry